Vegan Fudge (paleo) – Tastes Just Like Traditional Fudge!
This vegan fudge is super creamy, easy to make and stays solid at room temperature! It really tastes like traditional fudge and can also be made paleo.
There are a few 2-ingredient vegan fudge recipes out there, and I’ve tried them. They’re yummy but not what I would call fudge.
While this recipe has more than two ingredients, it’s still incredibly easy. And definitely worth the extra 2 minutes it takes to prepare!
Just 5 basic ingredients
You probably even already have the ingredients in your pantry. You just need chocolate, coconut milk, nut or seed butter, a tiny bit of maple syrup, vanilla and salt.
So far, I’ve made this recipe with hazelnut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, and sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version. Peanut butter also works for non-paleo! Here’s how to make homemade almond butter and how to make peanut butter should you want to make you own.
Solid at room temperature!
A lot of paleo and vegan candy recipes, like my peanut butter chocolate fudge or peanut butter and jelly fudge, melt at room temperature. It can be a little annoying if you want to bring them on-the-go with you. But today’s recipe stays firm!
That’s because this fudge recipe is coconut oil-free. It’s firm, just like traditional fudge is at room temperature.
And because it’s coconut oil-free, there’s no coconut taste. I usually recommend refined coconut oil in my coconut oil recipes (like in 180 out of 185 of them ;)) but I know a lot of people prefer to use unrefined.
So yay – no coconut flavor in this recipe! The small amount of coconut milk isn’t enough to turn the fudge coconutty.
If you don’t care about it being solid at room temp, check out my paleo fudge, which is also vegan and only uses a few ingredients. You don’t even need to turn on the stove to melt anything, and it’s 100% maple-sweetened.
You should still keep it refrigerated because of the nut butter and coconut milk, though. It’s totally fine to keep out at a party or bring on a road trip, but it’s safer to refrigerate after maybe no more than 12 hours.
If you try out this chocolate fudge, I’d love to hear how you like it!
Substitution questions about this vegan fudge recipe?
Can I use a different type of chocolate?
Dark chocolate would work (if you prefer your chocolate fudge on the dark side). Milk chocolate would also be fine (if you have a sweet tooth and don’t need it paleo / dairy-free). I haven’t tried white chocolate, but I think it might taste odd with the nut butter. I might be wrong about that, though!
Can I use something instead of almond butter?
Any natural nut or seed butter should work! It just can’t have any added fat or sugar.
Can I use something other than coconut milk?
I haven’t tried it, but I’m guessing so. The result might not be as creamy since coconut milk is so much thicker and has more fat than other types of milk.
Can I use something other than maple syrup?
Any liquid sweetener that you would use as a 1:1 sub for maple syrup or honey would probably work.
Can I omit the maple syrup?
I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s not super important to the taste (although for me, it wasn’t sweet enough without it), but it won’t be as fudgy without it. I originally tried it that way. I don’t think you can use water in its place, but if you want to booze it up, that would probably be amazing. ;)
Can I use a different extract?
You can use whatever extract you think goes well with your nut butter and chocolate! Peanut butter + chocolate + lemon extract? No. Almond butter + chocolate + peppermint or almond extract? Definitely!
Vegan Fudge (paleo) – Tastes Just Like Traditional Fudge!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (340 grams) semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped; or chocolate chips; make sure to use paleo / vegan chocolate)
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup (64 grams) natural almond butter or another nut / seed butter with no added fat or sugar
- 4 teaspoons maple syrup
- pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add everything, except the extract, to a medium saucepan or pot. Melt over low heat while frequently stirring. Meanwhile, prepare a 9"x5" loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper.2 cups (340 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, 1/3 cup (80 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk, 1/4 cup (64 grams) natural almond butter, 4 teaspoons maple syrup, pinch salt
- Once the fudge is totally combined, remove from the heat and stir in the extract.1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
- You can cut this when cold but it's easier when at room temperature. Store at room temperature for up to 12 hours and then refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
I’ve made so many disappointing recipes for paleo or keto fudge over the years, and this is finally THE one!! So good, and so easy. Thank you!
Woohoo! I’m so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner for you! But I’m so sorry you’ve had so many failed attempts at fudge. That can be super frustrating (and very expensive, I know!). Did you convert this recipe to be keto? I’d love to hear how you did that, if so. Thanks a ton for your feedback! :)
Sorry for the late reply, I didn’t see it until I came back to make this again! ;) I make this with Lily’s chocolate chips and 100% baking chocolate (1 cup of each). I still add the maple syrup since I’m not strictly keto, just keeping carbs low when I can. Thanks again for the great recipe!
Just tasted! Used peanut butter and chopped peanuts on top. Very rich and chocolatey. Divine!! Will try with other nut butters.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! :D Thanks a bunch for your comment! I hope you’ll enjoy the other versions just as much.
Soooo good!!! says my husband. ????
Yay! And what about you? ???? I hope you enjoyed it, too! Thanks so much for your feedback!
Lovely recipe. I wanted to send this fudge to a friend of mine via mail. Do you think that if i cook the coconut milk will it be safe to send it?x
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to your question. I don’t know if just cooking the milk will make it safe to be at room temperature for a few days, but I would say no. Sorry about that!
The fudge is fantastic, but my daughter thinks its not sweet enough. Would it mess up the recipe to put in 4 tablespoons of maple syrup instead of teaspoons?
That’s a lot of extra liquid so I’m not sure without trying it. I think it’d probably be quite sticky at room temperature and might need to be frozen. I’m glad you liked it!
Not my recipe but I would recommend adding powdered sugar to it instead or even liquid stevia/monkfruit or Splenda so it doesn’t change the composition much. I’m gonna make this and might try that so I’ll let you know how it goes bc I have a huge sweet tooth too :)
The consistency is perfect and the flavor is good. I had an open can of coconut cream so I used that and some dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. Very deep, rich chocolate flavor. I used natural peanut butter and you can’t really detect the flavor, but it definitely adds to this. I will make this every year now. Thanks!
Hi Jose! I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment. Thanks a bunch for the great feedback! I’m so glad that you’ll be making this every year. :)
is the nut butter needed or am i able to omit it?
1/4 cup is too much to omit. It’d have the wrong texture without it. Sorry about that!
If you are allergic try a seed butter like sun butter! :)
Would like to ship this to Denver from KC area. Will this set up or will it turn to liquid during transit.
Sorry for just now seeing this! Hopefully you saw this in the post – Store at room temperature for up to 12 hours and then refrigerate for up to 1 week. It has uncooked coconut milk in it so I wouldn’t send it in the mail, although it wouldn’t melt.
It feels tacky (sticky to the finger on top). Made twice. Same result. Any suggestions to make it smoother?
Is it tacky even after chilling? I’ve never had that happen so I’m puzzled. Did you make any changes at all to the recipe? I hope we can figure this out!
Oh myyyy .. I still have an hour-ish to wait until this is set, but had to slice off just a tad, and this may be the best fudge everrr!! I added twice as much vanilla extract and a little extra salt, plus chopped walnuts. Can’t wait until it’s ready!! Thank you sooo much! Saw the recipe today, went out for a walk and ended up at Whole Foods buying the ingredients! This is a keeper, and I’m going to play with it and try lots of kinds!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m really glad that you enjoyed the fudge and love that you went out and got the ingredients on the same day. I do that sometimes, too! :D I’d love to hear about your other versions. Thanks a ton for your feedback!
I’ve made this a few times and it’s delicious. It’s very easy to make as well. I didn’t have to clean up much. :)
Haha. That’s always a huge plus, isn’t it? I hate cleaning. ;) Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed it.